Big Show’s Big Eats: Taco salad

Editor’s Note: Elite Series pro Terry Scroggins has long been known as a great cook. In this column, he shares instructions on how to cook some of his favorite foods. See his other recipes for Pork tenderloinTequila chickenVenison kabobs, Mustard fried venisonBeer can chickenPeanut butter cup pieSmoked ribs with red pepper jellyShrimp-stuffed jalapeñosCrab-topped grouperTeriyaki injected tenderloinGrilled spaghettiFried ribs, Sausage dip, Grilled half shell redfish.

Taco Salad

I won’t lie to y’all and say I’m a big salad guy, because you know I’m not! Sometimes though, I love to get down on some taco salad. Some friends of mine put me onto this recipe a few years back, and it’s become a staple while I’m on the road. You know I can’t do taco salad like everyone else, so I go ahead and throw some Doritos in it, and then add some Catalina dressing on top. This salad is delicious, and it’s not super heavy. Honestly, it’s refreshing after a long day on the water, especially this time of year.

Ingredients: Ground beef (I used 5 pounds and had plenty), two red bell peppers, two heads of lettuce, one sprig of Cilantro, two onions, one bag of shredded cheese, three packets of taco seasoning, one large bag of Doritos, one bottle of Catalina dressing.

Tools needed: Pan with lid, spatula, small blender (optional), large knife, cutting board, mixing bowl.

Brown your ground beef in a pan using a medium/high heat, and then drain the excess grease.

I use a small blender to chop up my cilantro before adding it with my ground beef. It gives the beef a great added flavor.

Add your taco seasoning. I use around 2 1/2 packets for 5 pounds of beef. You can use more or less depending on your preference.

Mix everything together using your spatula. Place your lid on top to let simmer.

Chop your heads of lettuce.

I also chop up another small bit of cilantro.

Chop up your red bell peppers.

Add everything into a mixing bowl as you go.

Chop and add your onions into the mix.

Add as much cheese as you prefer. I use about half the bag in my mix.

Now it’s time to throw Doritos into the mix. Crumble up about two to three big handfuls. Add more if you like a crispier salad.

When all your ingredients are in the bowl, add your ground beef to the top, then mix thoroughly.

This looks like my kinda salad!

The final touch is to add Catalina dressing over the top of your salad and serve. It’s light, healthy and pretty dang delicious.

Terry Scroggins’ column, Big Show’s Big Eats, appears monthly on Bassmaster.com. You can also find him on Twitter or Facebook.